The document argues that instead of a separate social media strategy, marketers should focus on an integrated engagement, influence, and activation strategy aligned with clients' business goals. It emphasizes the importance of blending traditional and social media efforts, using a successful case study of a campaign for Knorr's Sidekicks as an example. The conclusion highlights that strong, integrated creative strategies are essential for achieving significant market impact.

1. YOU DON’T
NEED A
SOCIAL
MEDIA
STRATEGY

2. THIS DECK WAS PRESENTED AT THE
140 CHARACTERS CONFERENCE IN
WASHINGTON DC ON 6/17/10. IT WAS
WRITTEN FOR A TEN-MINUTE
“LIGHTNING TALK” FORMAT.
IT WAS CREATED IN RESPONSE TO
ABOUT MYRIAD PUNDITS CONTINUING TO
THIS GUSH OVER SOCIAL MEDIA AS A
SUPER-SPECIAL SPECIALTY AREA.
PRESO
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IS FAR
PAST THE EXPERIMENTATION AND
“SHINY NEW OBJECT” PHASES. TIME
TO STOP GUSHING, START THINKING
ABOUT INTEGRATION, AND START
SHOWING RESULTS.
2

3. I’m an American, but work in Vancouver, so here’s a shout-out to all the
Canadians in the audience at #140conf!
IM IN YER
COUNTREE,
STEELIN UR
HELTHCAREZ
3

4. I’m an ad guy, a marketer, a suit — but also a mega-nerd, one of the
first bloggers (see above) and podcasters. I’ve seen the web move
from experimental to commercial to search to social.
i.e., I’m not predisposed to either social or traditional media. I’m
fortunate that I’ve been able to explore marketing innovations to see
which trends and tools have legs — or don’t — for my clients.
4

5. 2004-2009 WAS A RIOT, AN
EXPERIMENT, A FUN CULTURAL
EXPERIENCE.
IT’S BEEN A WE MARVELLED AS OUR TWEETS
SCROLLED BY AT SXSW.
FUN FIVE
WE SIGNED UP FOR JAIKU, POWNCE
YEARS, AND TWITTER.
HASN’T IT?
USTREAM, KYTE AND JUSTIN.TV.
SNAPVINE, TROTTR AND UTTERLI.
IN SHORT, WE TRIED EVERYTHING.
5

6. In the early days of the social web, we joined Flickr
meetups…
6

7. We attended Ignite, TechLive, Facebook Developer Garages. Wrote blog
posts in podcasting lounges at social media conferences.
7

8. We marvelled at (and endlessly played) the “Did You Know” video.
8

9. And we watched as Justine talked about her iPhone bill from
AT&T.
9

10. WE WATCHED OPRAH, ASHTON,
LARRY KING AND CNN POUNCE ON
TWITTER.
WE STOPPED RANTING THAT IT
WAS “ABOUT A DIALOGUE” AND
STARTED TALKING ABOUT CO-
CREATION, CROWDSOURCING AND
UNPAID ARMIES.
AND THEN PEOPLE STARTED
TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR A
SOCIAL MEDIA
STRATEGY.
10

11. WE DON’T
NEED NO
STEENKING
SOCIAL
MEDIA
STRATEGY. 11

12. THAT’S LIKE A
CELL
PHONE
STRATEGY.
12

13. A FREEWAY
STRATEGY.
13

14. BECAUSE
SOCIAL
AIN’T NO
BOLT-ON
PUBLISHING
PLATFORM. 14

15. AND IF
YOU’RE IN
MKTG/PR,
15

16. SOCIAL
SHOULD BE
WOVEN INTO
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING.
16

17. My job is to
OUR GOALS: think past mere
communication.
To get my
INTERACT. clients’
customers to
interact with our
SHARE.
content. To
share it with
their friends. To
get them off
GET OFF their asses and
get them to DO
something. Join
a loyalty club.
YOUR ASS. Show up at a
company event.
Choose us at
retail.
17

18. IN OTHER WORDS:
ENGAGEMENT.
INFLUENCE.
ACTIVATION.
Rather than a “social media strategy,” we need an Engagement Strategy.
An Influence Strategy. An Activation Strategy. Focused around our
clients’ end business goals, not media specialties! Srsly.
18

19. REIMAGINING OUR APPROACH
STUDY/
PLAN LISTEN PUBLISH ENGAGE INFLUENCE ACTIVATE
Too many companies approach social from a Publishing mindset. We
recommend rethinking marketing using a MIX of traditional and social, in the
context of Engagement, Influence & Activation. An activated customer spends
more, shares more and cares more. It’s a harder creative challenge but a better
one.
CREATIVE CHALLENGE
REVENUE POTENTIAL

20. 36,053
PEOPLE WHO COMMITTED TO LEAVING
FACEBOOK ON “QUIT FACEBOOK DAY” (MAY 31)
NEW USERS WHO JOINED THAT DAY ANYWAY
794,000
(GIVE OR TAKE A FEW THOUSAND)
HUMOROUS ASIDE: On May 31, 2010, 36,000 people were activated to
quit Facebook. Ironically, that same day, another 794,000 were activated to
join Facebook anyway.
20

21. We’ve seen
incredible success
DDB IS for our clients using
a blend of
traditional and
social media.
FOCUSING EXAMPLE:
DDB Canada was
asked to build a
ON A traditional media
campaign for
Knorr’s Sidekicks®
BLENDED
low-sodium
packaged meal
product. We
created a
APPROACH character, Salty,
who was no longer
needed at the
dinner table.
21

22. Once we had started the conversation through traditional
media, we then brought Salty to life through social.
22

23. Our Radar DDB Cultivation Team engaged with consumers in character, on
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and elsewhere. Visitors were encouraged (and
activated) to participate with Salty through activities like photo contests.
23

24. Through the social sites, Salty could come to life and engage with
consumers, who would use their influence to forward, fan and like
him.
24

25. Even teenagers surfing
ChatRoulette were stunned
to find they were chatting
with salt and pepper
shakers, instead of some
random shirtless dude.
Surprise!
25

26. We got traditional press as well as lots of blogger pickup, and our
cultivation team engaged with these bloggers to stretch our reach and
influence further. Let’s take a look at another traditional commercial that
followed after the initial Salty creative.

27. We encouraged user-generated content. Consumers started uploading videos
of their kids interacting with the salt and pepper shakers, some getting
thousands of views.

28. People enthusiastically submitted photos in our photo contests. And
then shared those photos with friends.

29. They even put together photo shoots featuring their culinary dishes, along
with Salty and Pep.

30. And pasta art submissions prove that activation CAN defeat time starvation!
So how did the campaign do?

31. 6,000 FACEBOOK FANS
400,000+ VIDEO VIEWS
1,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS
18,000 SALTY & PEP SHAKERS
WE MOVED SOLD OUT IN FIRST 25 DAYS
THE NEEDLE.
HIGHEST WEBSITE TRAFFIC EVER
SIDEKICKS SALES ROSE BY 10%
SIDEKICKS SURPASSED UNCLE
BEN’S AS #1 BRAND IN MEAL
ACCOMPANIMENTS
31

32. BRANDED SITE
EXTERNAL MKTG-MANAGED PRESENCE
EXTERNAL THIRD-PARTY SITE
Integrated Traditional/Social Marketing Mix TRADITIONAL MEDIA/PR
TOPICAL COMMUNITIES:
IP, HELPFUL TIPS
D E T E R M I N AT I O N
E V A L U A T I O N /
C O M P A R I S O N
A W A R E N E S S
PRODUCT LAUNCH
MICROSITE
P U R C H A S E
S T O R Y T E L L I N
HELPFUL G RECIPE
L O Y A L T Y
SEO RESOURCES
EVENTS DOT-COM SITE S COMMENTS
COMPANY BLOG (IP) ONLINE SAMPLING FACEBOOK
E-COMMERCE FAN PAGE
N E E D
PARTNER
ONLINE YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
STORYTELLING, IP
PRINT
EXTERNAL BLOGS: IP, TIPS
OUTDOOR
PR
SAMPLING PGMS
Blended, integrated efforts WORK. It takes a lot more effort, cost and brand
interactions to move consumers through the funnel these days. So why not
RETAIL
grease the skids using a mix of traditional and social content?
32

33. SUMMARY
POINTS
33

34. PROPONENTS: WE
NEED TO TALK
MORE ABOUT
END BUSINESS
GOALS THAN
SOCIAL MEDIA
34

35. COMMUNICATORS:
PLAN YOUR
TRADITIONAL AND
SOCIAL TOGETHER
Too many marketers are looking at social as an add-on. They hire
social media enthusiasts with no traditional experience to handle their
social efforts, resulting in marginal market response. Your traditional
and social media efforts should be planned together. By
experienced strategists. Using impactful creative work.
35

36. SO USE
TRADITIONAL TO
START AND/OR
SUPERCHARGE A
SOCIAL
CONVERSATION
36

37. AND USE SOCIAL TO
REVERBERATE AND
AMPLIFY MARKET
IMPACT WHEN THE
CAMPAIGN IS NO
LONGER RUNNING.
37

38. BECAUSE STRONG
CREATIVE,
INTEGRATED
ACROSS BOTH
TRADITIONAL AND
SOCIAL MEDIA, WILL
MOVE THE NEEDLE. 38

39. AND THAT,
MY FRIENDS, IS A
GOOD STRATEGY.
39

40. MUCHAS
GRACIAS.
ERIC WEAVER
DDB CANADA
@WEAVE
+1 604 640 4350